Signaling apparatus for telephone-lines.



' No. 728,165. PAT NTE MAY 12, 1903.

E. E. GREEN.

SIGNALING APPARATUS EoE TELEPHONE LINES. I

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1902. H0 MODEL. I 2 SEEIBTSSHBEI 1.

Q g A E avwanto'a I (D I fr zdfifimmq wilmaowo No. 728.165- PATENTBD MAY 12, 1903. E. GREEN. SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR TELEPHONE LIN S.

APPLICATION TILED JAN. 2, 1902. I

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED ST TES Patented May 12, 1903.

PATENT *QFFICE.

FRED E. GREEN, OF NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF FORTY-NINE ONE-HUNDREDTHSTO H. RUSSELL PERKINS, OF NEW- BURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

SIGNALING APPARATUS FORITELEPHONE-LINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,165, dated May 12, 1903. Application filed January 2, 1902- Serial No- 88,068. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED E. GREEN, of N ewburyport, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Apparatus for Telephone-Lines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a signaling apparatus for telephone-lines, and has special reference to an improved individual call for each subscriber on a party-line whereby only the call-bell of the subscriber desired by central will sound an alarm when the call is made, thus indicating to the subscriber that he is desired when the bell of his apparatus operates.

In carrying out the above object the invention obviates the common objection to partyline circuits wherein the bell rings in every station on the line when any subscriber is called, thus frequently causing delay and confusion in determining the number of calls sounded. I V A The invention therefore has particularly in view the provision of means whereby the operator at the central or principal station of a party-line is enabled to operate the call-bell of any particular station or talking set without putting in operation any other signals upon the line and to secure this result simply by breaking and closing the circuit of the line upon which the several stations are situated.

With this special object in view the invention contemplates an improved apparatus comprising means whereby it takes a certain predetermined number of impulses to set in operation the call-bell of any particular subscribers station on'theline.

With these and many other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The non-essential features of the invention, and particularly the wiring of the apparatus, are necessarily susceptible to modification; but a preferred embodiment of the invention and apractical way of employing the sameisshown in the accompanying drawings in whichf Figure 1 is a plan view of a telephone signaling apparatus constructed in accordance with thepreseht invention. 7 Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail crosssectional View on thegline 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing more plainly the formation of the traveling circuit-controller or circuit-controlling slide and the slid-able engagement thereof with the guide member or rail. Fig. 4 is a detail elevationof the propellingpawl for advancing the traveling circuit-controller. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the check-pawl for holding the circuit-controller 'or slide in, the position towhich it may be advanced. by the propelling-pawl. Fig. 6. is a detail sectional view on the lined 6 of Fig. 1, showing a form of retarding device associated with the main-circuit closer for the be'll-working circuit.

Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. i

In carrying outthe invention it is understood that eachsubscriberto a party-line has the same signaling apparatusassociated with the call-bell ofhis talking set, whereby the operator at the central or principal station is enabled to call up the desired substation and no other. Itshould be observed, however, in this connection that each subscriber has a duplicate signaling apparatus which is set so as to bring the'call-bell into operation only after the number of impulses are sent over the line corresponding to the number of the station to be called up. y In this way only the call-bell of the station desired will be broughtinto play, as will be hereinafter more fully explained and understood.

The working parts of the signaling appara tus are mounted on a suitable base (designated by the numeral 1 in the drawings) which is arranged in anyconvenient position in connect-ion with the talking set of the subscribers station of which it forms a part. Arranged to work over said base is one of the principal instrumentalities of the apparatus-namely, a traveling circuit-controller 2. This traveling circuit-controller is preferably in the form of an elongated slide-block, longitudinally channeled atits under side to provide a slideway 3, which slidably engages a stationary guide or guiding member 4, supported over the base in any suitable manner through the medium of suitable supporting elements and preferably in the form of a single guide-rail of a suificient length to accomodate the full play or movement of the slideblock constituting the traveling circuit-controller 2. The traveling circuit-controller acts in the capacity of an operating member for two separate and independent circuitclosing devices which are brought into action separately to provide for energizing or sounding the call-bell of the talking set in the manner to be presently explained. One of these circuitclosers (designated in its entirety by the numeral 5) may be properly termed the main-circuit closer or circuit-closingdevice, inasmuch as it is associated with the main working circuit for the call-bell, and while said main-circuit closer 5 may be of any approved type the preferable construction is shown in the drawings, and consists of a pair of upwardly-convergent arms 6 and 7, secured fast at their lower ends, as at 8, to the base 1 and having their upper ends normally sprung toward each other, whereby the same will seek a contacting relation after the controller 2 is moved out of its at-rest posisit-ion. In the preferable form of the maincircuit closer 5 the spring contact-arm 7 thereof is of greater length than the cooperating arm 6 and projects beyond the upper end of said latter arm 6 to form an engaging finger 9, which is adapted to be engaged by the laterally-projecting setting-arm 10, carried by the slide 2 at one end thereof or at such other suitable point that when the slide is at the starting-point of its movement, or, in other words, in its at-rest position, the arm 10 will bear against the finger 9 and hold the contact-spring 7 away from and out of contact with the other contact 6 of the main-circuit closer 5. The said maincircuit closer 5, composed of the contacts 6 and 7, isincluded in the main working circuit for the call-bell B of the subscribers talking set, and in the normal condition of'the apparatus this circuit is open. Any approved system of wiring maybe resorted to in providing the main working circuit, including the callbell and the main-circuit closer 5; but a simple arrangement of wiring is shown in the drawings, and consists in providing the base 1 with a pair of complemental binding-posts 11 and 11,to which are respectively connected the separate bell-wires aand (1, having proper connection with the terminals of the bell B. To one of the binding-posts, which may be conveniently designated as the post 11, is connected one end of the wire 0, forming a part of the main circuit, and the other end of this main-circuit wire 0 is connected with the contact 7 of the circuit-closer 5. The other contact 6 of the circuit-closer 5 has connected thereto one terminal of the wire d, also forming a part of the main working circuit and usually including in the line thereof an extra resistance 12, of any approved construction. The main-circuit wire at also has a connection with one terminal of the release-magnets 13, and the other terminal of which magnets has the main-circuit wire connection d therewith,

which circuit-wire connection also connects with one of the pair of binding-posts let and 14;, fitted to the base. These binding-posts have suitably wired thereto the ordinary house-bat-- 2, may be properly termed a short-circuiting circuit-closer and is designated in its entirety by the reference-numeral 16. The short-circuiting circuit-closer 16, like the main-circuit closer 5, may be of any approved construction, but preferably consists of a pair of upstanding contacts 17 and 18, suitably fastened to the base 1 and normally sprung in contact with each other.- The contact or contact member 18 is preferably a spring-arm set at an inclination to the base and having an engaging finger 19 projecting beyond the point of contact with the member 17 and lying in the path of the circuit-openingdog 20, carried by the controller or slide 2. The circuit-opening dog 20 is of the tripping type, being rigid in its forward movement overand against the engaging finger 19 of the contactsprglng 18and trailing inactively back over the said engaging finger of the spring 18 when the controller or slide is returning to its athome or at-rest position. The said dog 20 is pivotally mounted by the pivot 21 upon the lower end of a pendent carrying-arm 22, projecting downwardly from the body of the slide or slide-block 2, and at its rear side the said dog is rounded or beveled, as at 23, to permit of the same readily tilting upward, so

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as to freely trail back over the finger 19 of a the contact 18 upon the return movement of the slide. The dog may be arranged in various ways to permit of its tilting movement in one direction, while being held rigid during movement in the other direction; but a simple expedient is shown in. the drawings, and consists in providing the pendent carryingarm 22 at one side of the pivot 21 for the dog with an abutment stop or stop projection 24, against which the upper end portion of the dog bears when the lower end advances forward onto and against the engaging portion of the spring 18 to bear the same down out of contact with the opposing member 17 of the circuit-closer 16. Said circuit-closer 16 provides a shunt-circuit for the house-battery through the medium of the shunt-wires f and g, respectively connected with the circuitcloser contacts 17 and 18 and with the maincircuit wires 9 and d, as plainly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The short-circuiting closer 16 is located in advance and directly in the path of the dog 20, carried by the controller or slide 2, and disposed a distance in advance of the at-home position of said dog according to the number of impulses which it is necessary to give to the controller or slide to bring the said dog onto and in pressing engagement with the spring 18 of the circuit-closer 16. According to the number of the subscribers station the distance between the circuitcloser 16 and the at-home position of the slide, or at least the dog 20 thereof, will necessarily vary; but irrespective of this relative and predetermined distance between the said elements of the apparatus the construction of the latter remains the same.

The traveling circuit-controller or slide 2 is held in and moved back to its at-home position through the medium of a retracting device 25, preferably in the form of a springtape having suitable connection With'one end of the slide and coiled in a suitable boxing or housing 26, mounted in any convenient position. Of course it will be understood that any other type of spring or retracting medium may be employed for holding the circuit-controller or slide in its at-home position and for returning it to such position after having.

been advanced forward to provide for operating the call-bell B of the talking set. To provide convenient means for positively propelling the slide forwardly through a step-bystep movement the same is provided at the upper side thereof with the ratchet-tooth sections 26 and 28, Whose teeth are disposed in the same direction and are respectively (angaged by the points of the propelling and check pawls 29 and 30. The propelling-pawl 29 is provided at its free end with the point 31 for engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-section 28 and also with an upstanding forwardlyprojecting trip-arm 32, which lies alongside of a correspondingly upwardly and forwardly projecting trip-arm 33, projected in advance of the point 34 of the check-pawl 30, said point 34 of the check-pawl normally engaging the teeth of the ratchet-section 28. This construction provides a separate ratchet-section for each pawl, although it will be obvious that a single ratchet-section of sufficient width will secure the desired result and prevent interference between the action of the two pawls. The check-pawl 30 is pivotally mounted by the pivot 35 upon a suitable fixed support 36, arising from the base, and the propellingpawl 29 is pivotally connected at the end opposite its point, as at 37, to the upper end of an operating armature-lever 38, which in turn is pivotally supported at its lower end,

as at 39, in a suitable mounting 40, arranged upon the base-uprights. The tension of the pivotal operating-armature 38 is preferably regulated through the medium of the tensionscrews 41, mounted in suitable supports'42 and operating against the tension-springs 43, carried by the armature or armature-lever at the outer side thereof, and the sharp backward movement or retraction of the armature or armature-lever is preferably provided for through the medium of a retracting-spring 44, connected at one end, as at 45, with the armature and at its other end with an adj usting-screw 46, mounted in a suitable support 47 and providing for regulating the tension of the spring 44. The armature or armaturelever 38 is arranged opposite the exposed core ends of a pair of actuating-magnets 48, mounted upon the base and having their separate termi nals respectively connected by the wires h and t' with the line binding-posts 49 and 50, to which binding-posts are connected the linewires, so as to include the actuating-magnets directly in the telephone-line, and hence at the central or principal station.

The side-by-side trip-arms 32 and 33, respectively, of the propelling and check pawls have arranged thereunder one end portion of a release-rod 51, projecting laterally from and carried by the armature-lever 52, pivotally mounted, as at 53, upon an upright support 54 and carrying at one end an armature-plate 55, working over the exposed core ends of the release-magnets 13. The end of the armature-lever 52 opposite the armature-plate 55 thereof preferably carries a screw 56 holding in place a vertically-arranged stop-rod 56, operating against the base to provide for maintaining the said armature-lever 52in an operative position.

paratus, the same includes a suitable retarder or retarding device associated with the working circuit for the bell and comprising means for preventing the completion of such circuit until after the short-circuiting circuit-closer has been opened, thus preventing the sounding or ringing of the bell prematurely. A simple type of retarding device is shown in the drawings as consisting of an atmospherically-inflated rubber ball or bufler 12, suitably fastened to the contact member 6 of the main-circuit closer and having a pinhole-vent 12*, through which the air passes in being expelled from the ball and in reentering the latter when pressure is relieved therefrom. The ball or buffer 12 attached to the member 6, lies in the interval between when the pressure of the arm 10 is removed from said spring thelatter presses against the ball 12 and expels the air therefrom until the said spring reaches metallic contact with the arm 6, and thereby closes the bell-worki ing circuit. The speed of closing forthe mainsaid member and the contact-spring 7, so that under the immediate control of the operator 1 To secure the practicalworking of the ap- I circuit closers for the different stations will of course be properly timed by the employment of a proper-sized ball 12 or equivalent device.

In the normal condition of the apparatus the circuit through the bell is broken at the main-circuit closer 5 by reason of the setting arm holding the contact-spring 7 out of engagement with thecontact member 6. In the same condition of the apparatus the circuitcloser 16 is closed, thus maintaining what may be properly characterized as a shunt-circuit, as follows: contact 17, wire f, wire a, binding-post 14, house-battery 15, binding-post 14, wire g, and contact 16. Assuming the apparatus in the drawings to be associated with No. 4 subscribers station of a particular party-line, the operator at the central station breaks the main-line circuit four times in succession at short and regular intervals, hence closing and opening the circuit at such intervals through the actuating-magnets 4.8. This successive energize.- tion and denergization of the actuating-magnets 48 causes the operating armature-lever 38 to vibrate, and hence reciprocate the propelling-pawl 29, which in turn communicates a step-by-step movement to the controller or slide 2, the check-pawl 30 in the meantime serving to prevent backward contraction of the controller or slide. By the time the fourth impulse has been sent over the line the dog 20 will have passed into pressing engagement with the engaging finger 1?) of the contact 18, consequently opening up the shortcircuiting circuit-closer 16. In connection with the operation described it is to be ob served that when the controller oislide commences its forward movement the setting-arm 10 leaves the contact 7; but the complete closing of the main working circuit is retarded by the retarder 12 until the controller or slide has reached the desired position for opening the short circuit through the circuit-closer 16. Then upon the spring 7 making contact with the member 6 the main Working circuit will have been completed, as follows: house-battery 15, wire e, binding-post 11, wire 1), bell B, wire (t, binding-post 1] wire 0, circuitcloser 5, wire d, magnets 13, and wire at, binding-post 14, and back to battery 15 again. When the main working circuit is thus completed, the release-magnets 13 become energized, thereby operating the armature 52, which raises the release-rod 51 against the trip-arms 32 and 33, whereby both pawls are simultaneously disengaged from the ratchetteeth of the controller or slide, and thus free said slide, so that it may be retracted to its at-home position under the influence of its retracting-spring 25. At the stations of the small numbers, such as the No. 1 and No. 2 call, it will be obvious that when the impulses are sent over the 1inefor instance, to call No. 4=-the circuit-opening dog will pass completely over the contact 18 and permit the circuit-closer 16 to become again closed before the bell can be rung by the completion of the main working circuit.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described signaling apparatus will be readily apparent without further description, and it will also be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a signaling apparatus for telephonelines, the combination with the battery, the call-bell, the main working circuit for the call-bell and a shuntcircuit for the battery, of a normally open circuit-closer for the main working circuit, a normally closed circuit-closer for the shunt-circuit, and a stepby-step circuitcontrolling mechanism including a member comprising means for holding the main-circuit closer open when in an at-rest position and also for opening the other of said circuitclosers after leaving such position.

2. In a signaling apparatus for telephone lines, the combination with the battery, the call-bell, the main working circuit for the call-bell and a shunt-circuit for the battery, of a main-circuit closer for the Working circuit, a separate circuit-closer for the shuntcircuit, a traveling circuit-controller having an element cooperating with the main-circuit closer for holding the latter open in the at-home position of the controller, and also having an element cooperating with the circuit-closer for the shunt-circuit, and electrically-operated means for imparting a forward step-by-step movement to the controller.

3. In a signaling apparatus for telephonelines, the combination with the battery, the call-bell, the main working circuit for the call-bell and a shunt-circuit for the battery of a circuit-closer for the working circuit, a separate circuit-closer for the shunt-circuit, a traveling circuit-controller slidably supported for movement in a fixed plane and having a setting-arm cooperating with the main-circuit closer for the working circuit and a circuit-opening dog cooperating with the other of said circuit -closers, and electrically-operated means for imparting a stepby-step movement to the controller.

4. In a signaling apparatus for telephonelines, the combination with the battery, the call-bell, the working circuit for the call-bell, and a shunt-circuit for the battery, of a normally open main-circuit closer for the working circuit, a normally closed circuit-closer for the shunt-circuit, a traveling circuit-controller in the form of a reciprocatory slide having asetting-arm for holding the main-circuit closer open and also having a circuit-opening dog adapted to be advanced to a position for opening the circuit-closer for the shuntcircuit, electrical means for imparting a forward step-by-step movement to the circuitcontroller, and other means for returning the controller to its at-home position.

5. In a signaling apparatus for telephonelines, the combination with the battery, the call-bell, the main working circuit for the call-bell, and a shunt-circuit for the battery, of a normally open maincircuit closer for the working circuit, a separate normally closed circuit-closer for the shunt-circuit, a reciprocatory circuit-controller in the form of aslide having a setting-arm cooperating with the main-circuit closer and a circuit-openingdog cooperating with the circuit-closer for the shunt-circuit, electrical means for imparting a step-by-step movement to the controller from impulses sent over the line, and an electrical releasing device included in the working circuit and comprising means for automatically releasing the circuit-controller to permit its return to the at-home position.

6. In a signaling apparatus for telephonelines, the combination with the battery, the call-bell, the working circuit for the call-bell, and a shunt-circuit for the battery, a maincircuit closer included in the working circuit, a separate circuit-closer for the shunt-circuit, a step-by-step operating circuit-controller having a member cooperating with the maincircuit closer, and a separate member cooperating with the circuit-closer for the shuntcircuit, an electromagnetic releasing device included in the main circuit and comprising means for automaticallyreleasing the circuitcontroller, and a current-retarder.

7. In a signaling apparatus for telephonelines, the combination with the battery, the call-bell, the working circuit for the call-bell, and a shunt-circuit for the battery, of separate circuit-closers respectively included in said separate circuits, one being normally open and the other normally closed, a suitably-arranged guide, a traveling circuit-controller consisting of a slide-block Working on the guide and having ratchetteeth, said slide-block also having a setting-arm cooperating with one circuitcloser, and a pivotal tripping-dog cooperating with the other circuit-closer, a retracting device for the slideblock, electromagnetic actuating means included in the line-circuit and having a vibratory operating-armature, a propelling-dog connected with the said armature, and engaging the ratchet-teeth, said propelling-dog having a trip arm, a suitably-supported check-pawl also engaging the ratchet-teeth and likewise having a trip-arm, and an electromagnetic release device included in the working circuit and having an armature-1ever provided with a release-rod having operative engagement with the trip-arms of both pawls.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED E. GREEN.

Witnesses:

HOWARD PACKER, THOMAS HUSE. 

